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Newsletter
January 2019 Highlights
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In the News
Risen from the Rubble
Started after the Northridge Quake, TVEA Turns 25
By Ethan Varian,
San Fernando Valley Business Journal
When the Northridge Earthquake devastated swaths of the San Fernando Valley in 1994, business leaders knew the crisis demanded a coordinated response.
To facilitate federal and state aid, a group of leaders formed an organization that in 1995 took the name Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley. Later it was renamed The Valley Economic Alliance.
As the impact of the earthquake faded, the group shifted to promoting the Valley as an economic resource for companies. The Alliance gained traction with the appointment of Bill Allen as its first permanent President in 1997. The former head of Mary Tyler Moore's television production company, he connected the Valley with the entertainment industry.
"Bill brought in all of the entertainment industry," current Alliance Chairman Randy Witt told the Business Journal. "He was instrumental in raising our profile."
Today, the organization works for the recruitment and retention of Valley companies, together with a long-standing emphasis on education and infrastructure advocacy for local businesses.
Even before the Northridge Earthquake rattled the Valley economy in 1994, local business organizations were discussing ways to spur development as the region's once-thriving aerospace and manufacturing industries entered into decline. O
nce the 6.7 tremor hit, business leaders decided the time for talking was over.
That's when Robert Scott, then Chair of the United Chambers of Commerce of the San Fernando Valley; Ben Reznik, then Chair of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association; and David Honda, then Chair of the Valley Economic Development Center launched a campaign to revitalize the local economy.
Led by Scott, the group set up emergency workshops to help businesses assess infrastructure damage and apply for federal funding.
They also welcomed U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown - who arrived by helicopter atop the roof of the Sherman Oaks Hospital - to tour debilitated business districts and figure out how to distribute a federal recovery package. During the trip, Brown suggested business leaders designate a specific group to manage the relief funds.
In response, the leaders founded The Valley Economic Alliance, which would go on to become one of the region's most vital institutions. For the past 25 years, The Alliance has served as a conduit between Valley business groups including VICA, VEDC, United Chambers and the Valley International Trade Organization, which together work to advance economic growth and improve the quality of life of Valley residents.
"It's really an umbrella organization," said Alliance Co-Founder Honda. "We're much stronger as a group than on our own."
One of the Alliance's first actions was to apply for a $350,000 FEMA planning grant to assess the makeup of the Valley economy.
"We were surprised to find that our economy was really based on entertainment," said Honda. "So, the idea was to see, 'How do we capitalize on this?'"
Shortly after receiving the planning report by Stanford University, the Alliance hired MTM Television President Bill Allen to lead the organization. Allen was entrenched in the local entertainment industry, and upon heading the organization, was able to engage local television and film studios to support and invest in the group's early initiatives.
"Bill brought in all of the entertainment industry," said current Alliance Chairman Randy Witt, who first began working with the group in 1996. "He was instrumental in raising our profile."
Allen helped devise the Alliance's ongoing 'Valley of the Stars' marketing campaign, which aimed to recast the Valley - home to Warner Bros. Entertainment, Comcast Corp.'s Universal Pictures and Walt Disney Co. - from a suburban backwater to the engine behind Hollywood.
"We wanted to let the world know that this is where the stars come to live, to work, to produce the entertainment that entertains the world," Allen said.
The Alliance began producing tourism pamphlets, promotional videos and even a street banner campaign. It also launched its annual "Valley of the Stars" fundraising Gala Awards Ceremony in 1998. True to its name, the first event was sponsored by Disney and featured awards to Bob Hope, Bert Boeckmann of Galpin Motors and Allen's father, television host Steve Allen.
Education agenda
Another of the Alliance's early successes was its GRAD program, which was designed to help local students earn a high school diploma and provide scholarships to those attending college. Impressed by its hands-on approach, Disney and Boeing Co. became donors to the program.
"We brought a manufacturing laboratory, which is a big trailer to teach kids in high school and in a community colleges," said Witt.
He added that The Alliance also helped Los Angeles Valley College receive a federal grant to create a bus driver training program as well as adult education classes.
"We feel that an educated workforce is very important," Witt said.
The group was also a strong advocate for bringing a Metro line to the Valley. In 1997, it held a series of transportation summits with business leaders and local officials to come to an agreement over the Orange Line bus system.
"It was a tremendous example of how if you bring business groups and city officials together...You can actually get a consensus and see public agencies to do what I think they're quite willing to do, which is serve the needs of the public," Allen said.
More recently, The Alliance helped inform the business community about the 2016 transportation tax Measure M as well as the $1.3 billion Orange Line light rail extension project. Last year, it played a key role in moving the site of a railyard along the planned light rail line in the middle of Van Nuys Boulevard. The yard would have displaced 186 business and more than 1,500 employees at its proposed location.
Allen left the Alliance in 2000 and was replaced by San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership President Bruce Ackerman, who held the position until he passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2010. During that time, Ackerman refined the Alliance's four primary initiatives, which include economic development, education, nurturing sustainable communities and marketing the Valley.
Today, the organization aims to follow through on these objectives by hosting events, roundtables and job fairs, which are often attended by industry leaders as well as government officials.
"Giving businesses a voice and connecting resources with leadership, that's what we do," said Kenn Phillips, who took over as President in 2014.
The organization also works directly with companies to help identify tax incentives, apply for small business loans and take advantage of public-private partnerships.
The continued collaboration between the various Valley business groups that make up The Alliance, Phillips added, is the key to providing these resources.
"Over the past 12 years, we've coached financially stressed businesses to save over 10,000 jobs," Phillips said. "It's quite remarkable how much time people give and their sincere commitment to help the Valley community."
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Did you miss the "Shift Happens!" Conference
Did you miss the "Are you Prepared? Shift Happens!" Conference on January 11th? Presentations from the conference are now on our website!
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In the News
"Are You Prepared? Shift Happens!" Conference at CSUN Focuses on Disaster Preparedness
By Wyatt
Samuelson, CSUN Today
In January 1994, one of the most devastating earthquakes in state history struck California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and the San Fernando Valley. To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 1994 quake,
The Valley Economic Alliance and CSUN's College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Valley Nonprofit Resources partnered to host a disaster preparedness conference called "Are You Prepared? Shift Happens!"
The conference, which took place on January 11th, offered strategies to help business owners, home owners and individuals shift their attention and resources to emphasize the safety of people and property following natural disasters such as earthquakes, fires, floods and power outages.
CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison joined keynote speakers that included State Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) and City of Calabasas Mayor David Shapiro to discuss the importance of being proactive in emergency preparation.
"Living in Southern California, we know all too well the importance of emergency planning," Harrison said. "Just last year, our region experienced some of the worst fires in California's history, which caused widespread destruction. With the Northridge earthquake 25 years ago, CSUN and our surrounding community experienced the devastation earthquakes can bring, and why planning, resources, hard work and leadership are all needed to recover."
A goal of The Valley Economic Alliance is to ensure the region is prepared for challenges during and after a natural disaster. The alliance is comprised of businesses, government, education and community organizations that work together to promote greater standards of living and economic vitality in the Valley. CSUN's Valley Nonprofit Resources offers both information and services to strengthen the more than 5,600 nonprofit organizations in the San Fernando Valley.
Sessions at the conference provided advice for both individuals and organizations for staying safe during natural disasters. The tips included the standard "drop, cover and hold on" for individuals experiencing an earthquake, as well as big-picture advice for organizations, including detailed communication plans for employees, updating phone lists with employees' home contact numbers and testing emergency plans.
In December, Shapiro had a front-row seat to the damage caused by the Woolsey Fire. He shared his city's experiences with emergency planning and stories of the recent disaster.
"We lost nine homes, two apartment [buildings], one hotel and two city parks, and [implemented] a complete citywide evacuation for five days, but [experienced] no loss of life thanks to our tremendous first responders," Shapiro said. "One of the things that are most important in our city is brush clearance. This helps firefighters buffer the effects of the fire and saves lives, pets and homes. The work was done by the many sheriffs, police officers and firefighter first responders who carried out a detailed emergency plan for the city."
State Sen. Hertzberg asked how many business owners were present in the room during his address. Seeing dozens of hands raised, he said, "We often like to complain about the inefficiency of government, taxes and all the rest, but as Mayor Shapiro detailed the events of the fire, we see government working, your tax dollars working - people that spent 24-hour days making sure that safety was a No. 1 priority."
In addition to natural disasters, the conference included discussions regarding man-made crises such as burglaries, home invasions and mass shootings. Captain Bryan Lium, commanding officer of the Los Angeles Police Department's Devonshire Division, spoke about practical ways to help secure the safety of one's business and home. He stressed the importance of keeping an emergency plan ready for each situation.
To end the conference, Stephen Jordan, CEO of the Institute of Sustainable Development, a leading expert in disaster recovery and community economic development, spoke about the realities of natural disasters and their impact. Jordan said that private and public organizations must foster greater inter-dependency and inter-connectivity in order to better respond to natural disasters. He referred attendees to a
planning guide made available by the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation that included strategies for shoring up both customer information and physical buildings.
"What recent wildfires have shown us is that approaching the future the same we have in the past is just too costly, too painful and not good for anyone in our community," Jordan said. "If a disaster strikes, we need to be worried about not only preparing emergency plans, but how we can reinvent our infrastructure so that if the same disaster strikes it won't be as catastrophic as before."
Source.
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Los Angeles Home Buyer Conference
Saturday, February 16, 2019
The Valley Economic Alliance is proud to support the
Los Angeles Home Buyer Conference
on
Saturday, February 16th
- a free educational event that connects potential and existing homeowners with the resources they need to achieve their goal of becoming a homeowner, maximizing equity as a current home owner or looking into real estate as a career choice whether flipping a house/real estate agent and/or pursuing a career in commercial real estate or lending.
Guests can take advantage of workshops, credit counselors lounge and an on-site loan pavilion for same day pre-qual for anyone wanting to buy a house.
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City of Glendale hosts TVEA Board of Directors
The Valley Economic Alliance hosted a Board of Directors Meeting on January 24th at Hyatt Place Glendale with a special welcome by City of Glendale Councilwoman Paula Devine.
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Phillip Lanzafame, City of Glendale. |
Paula Devine, City of Glendale. |
Phil Lanzafame, Director of Community Development with City of Glendale and TVEA Boardmember presented "How to be an Economic Development Leader who is not Afraid to Fail." Philip shared leadership styles that promote and encourage innovation, and presented strategies for navigating daily complexities and pitfalls. Phillip shared that empowerment, responsibility and excellence are tools employers and employees can use to overcome fear. He also shared that in order to demonstrate leadership, you must have the five C's - control, clarity, competency and consistency.
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HealthX
Friday, April 12, 2019
The Valley Economic Alliance is hosting its fourth HealthX on Friday,
April 12th
; a TedX style event that features presentations and demonstrations by top doctors and health industry leaders sharing advances in health and wellness from 7:30am-10:30am at Adventist Health Glendale's Main Auditorium.
Past speakers have included Adventist Health Glendale, Cedars Sinai, UCLA Health, Concorde Career College, Encino Hospital Medical Center and Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center.
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2019 Health Expo & Career Fair
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
The Valley Economic Alliance and Los Angeles Valley College are hosting the
2019 Health Expo and Career Fair at Valley College's Student Union Plaza on
Tuesday, April 23rd from 8:30am-12:30pm.
The Health Expo promotes good nutrition, healthy eating and adopting an active lifestyle. The expo offers free onsite health screenings such as blood pressure, BMI and HIV. Premier health providers and wellness based businesses will be onsite and offering resources, services, products and giveaways.
The Career Fair offers attendees and Valley College students the opportunity to meet and network with employers and explore a variety of career paths and industries.
Sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities are available.
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Business Accelerator Program, 90 Day Graduation
The Valley Economic Alliance's Business Accelerator Program participants powered by Next Level 90 and generously sponsored by Comerica Bank graduated at the top of the New Year on January 9th with the support of Director Jeff Cohen.
This term's graduates are
Frankie Hernandez of Frankie Hernandez Consulting; Sharae Gibbs of She Designs Creative Agency; Apryl Boyle of El Porto Shark and Symone Fairchild of Symone Cosmetics.
The Valley Economic Alliance's Business Accelerator program helps under-served women business owners take their ideas and businesses to the Next Level in just 90 days.
"I am proud of all of the women that took on the Next Level 90 Business Accelerator program. The dedication and commitment lead to results that otherwise would have taken 2 years to produce," said Cohen.
Program coaches were
Remy Meraz, Stan Gelfer, Sandra Ortiz, Jessica Joy Reveles and Ron L. Gurse, and the program's first reviewer Shayna Kasbee.
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Out and About
Los Angeles celebrated 50 million visitors
in 2018 on January 16th at The NOVO at LA Live - reaching a target milestone two years ahead of schedule.
Pictured are TVEA Boardmembers
Patti MacJennett and Theresa OfStad with Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board with Jacqui Matsumoto, TVEA Director of Investor Relations.
Attendees included Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti; L.A. City Council President Herb Wesson; Chair of the Trade, Travel and Tourism Committee Councilman Joe Buscaino and hundreds of members of the tourism and hospitality community.
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At the opening reception of Women of Vision: National Geographic Photographers on Assignment on January 17th at the Forest Lawn Museum.
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SoCalGas names new COO and new President
TVEA Investor, SoCalGas recently announced several executive leadership changes as part of an ongoing effort to align Sempra Energy's management teams with strategic priorities and strengthen its leadership with a balance of deep operational and energy policy experience. The new executive leadership will help steward SoCalGas into California's clean energy future while continuing to provide safe and reliable gas service to the company's 21 million customers across Central and Southern California.
In December 2018, Bret Lane, formerly SoCalGas' President and COO, was named COO. During his 36 years at SoCalGas, Lane has demonstrated exceptional leadership at the utility and in the natural gas industry. His experience will be called upon as SoCalGas continues to work together with policymakers, businesses, regulators and others to integrate the state's energy system in a way that enables California to achieve its 2045 carbon neutrality goal. Lane's guidance will be instrumental as SoCalGas continues to champion solutions that offer Californians energy choice and affordability.
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Maryam Brown. |
Jimmie Cho. |
Bret Lane. |
On January 12, Jimmie Cho was promoted to COO for SoCalGas. During his nearly three decades with Sempra Energy's utilities, Cho has held a variety of leadership roles and most recently served as senior vice president of customer services for SoCalGas and senior vice president of distribution operations for SoCalGas and San Diego Gas & Electric. In his new role as chief operating officer, Cho will continue to focus on the safety and reliability of the natural gas system and on keeping this clean energy source affordable for customers.
Lastly, Maryam Brown, Sempra Energy's Vice President of federal government affairs, will soon take on the role of SoCalGas President. In this role, Brown will promote the use of renewable natural gas and the development of renewable energy storage technologies, amongst other responsibilities. Putting waste streams to work as clean energy sources will be vital to achieving California's climate goals. Prior to Sempra, Brown served in a number of energy policy leadership positions, in both the private and public sector, including for the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, U.S. Senate's Republican Policy Committee and ConocoPhillips. Her extensive national energy policy experience will be beneficial for SoCalGas customers as California moves towards a new energy future.
Together with the rest of the management team, Lane, Cho and Brown will lead SoCalGas in its continuing pursuit to deliver reliable, affordable natural gas service to its customers. They will continue to work to identify new and existing technologies that will benefit customers and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a way that is affordable and maintains choice in energy options.
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Save the Dates - 2019
Thursday, February 14, 2019
11:00am-1:00pm
Tierra Del Sol - Bud's Place
*For non-profit organizations only.
Saturday, February 16, 2019
9:30am-2:00pm
Hilton Woodland Hills
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
8:30am-10:00am
Larsen's Steakhouse - The Village Shopping Center
Thursday, February 28, 2019
12:30pm-1:30pm
Burbank YMCA
*For TVEA Board of Governors only.
Friday, April 12, 2019
7:30am-10:30am
Main Auditorium - Adventist Health Glendale
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
8:30am-12:30pm
Student Union Plaza - Los Angeles Valley College
Thursday, May 2, 2019
8:00am-3:00pm
Van Nuys Airport
Friday, September 27, 2019
6:00pm-9:00pm
Skirball Cultural Center
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